This invention relates to pneumatic tires and more particularly to a pneumatic radial truck tire.
It is well known in the tire industry that the choice of particular tread pattern involves trade-offs between specific tire performance characteristics. For example, a block type tread design generally provides good mud and snow or off the road traction; however, block type designs are prone to uneven wear, particularly when mounted on the free rolling axles such as the front and trail positions of a tractor trailer unit. On the other hand, a rib type tire, that is, a tire having a plurality of substantially continuous circumferential ribs about the tread generally provides good wear characteristics and tracking qualities which are generally obtained at the expense of traction.
Applicants have discovered a particular tread configuration which has the good wear and tracking qualities of a rib type tire and the good traction qualities generally attributed to block type patterns.